Alabama produced eight NFL wide receivers in the first round during Nick Saban’s 17 seasons as head coach, including DeVonta Smith, Calvin Ridley, Amari Cooper and Julio Jones.

Freshman Ryan Williams appears to be next for the Crimson Tide.

“He’s on the same page as the guys they’ve had in the past,” Georgia football coach Kirby Smart said of Williams. “Super fast, talented, confident with the ball, great ball skills, great speed. He is a track athlete who was among the elite as a junior. He has come out of the closet and is already performing at a high level. I don’t think there is much fear or nerves for him.

The 17-year-old freshman has 10 catches for 285 yards and four touchdowns in three games. He leads the FBS with an average of 28.5 yards per catch heading into Saturday’s game against Georgia in Tuscaloosa.

“There’s a lot of hype around him, but I think he’s handling it in such a graceful way,” first-year Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said Wednesday.

Georgia All-American safety Malaki Starks leads a defense that will try to keep Williams from making big plays.

“Don’t let the age fool you,” Starks said. ‘He can go. …He’s a young player in the SEC, blah, blah, blah. But he can play. You have to have your P’s and Q’s, just on the same page. He has a great catch radius. He’s fast. He’s fast. He can move.”

Williams only enrolled at Alabama this summer. DeBoer said he immediately saw a “fluidity” and natural ability in tracking the ball.

What were “50-50 balls” for other receivers were caught much more often by Williams.

He did not take a step back during the offensive installation.

“He just throws everything into it,” DeBoer said. “He has that smile on his face and that energy around him. Every day was so consistent.”

Arian Smith, a senior wide receiver from Georgia who can be a vertical threat, talked about what he saw from Mobile’s 6-foot-1, 175-pound Williams.

“That’s crazy,” Smith said. ‘I’ve never seen a child like this before. He will be a good receiver in this league. When I see him do that at a young age, I’m amazed.”

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Alabama freshman Ryan Williams viewed by Georgia as Crimson Tide’s next big WR